Safety door lock



Nov. 29, 1955 A. M. slLvEY 2,725,249

SAFETY nooR Locx Filed Oct. 27, 1955 Agnes M Sill/ey IN V EN TOR.

BY WM @Mm United States Patent O SAFETY DOOR LOCK Agnes M. Silvey, Murphysboro, Ill., assigner of one-half to Corwin W. Silvey, Jr., Wood River, Ill.

Application October 27, 1953, Serial No. 388,538

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-140) This invention relates generally to safety locks and pertains more particularly to a locking mechanism specifically adapted for use in connection with the rear doors of vehicles to prevent accidental opening thereof and consequent injury to the occupants of the vehicle.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved safety lock for vehicle doors which will effectively prevent accidental or unauthorized opening of a rear door thereof, the extreme simplicity in design and construction of the device vesting in the same a novel and practical consideration as compared with other devices of this general nature.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved latching means to be utilized in conjunction with the door locking mechanism which includes a mounting plate and a handle member pivotally secured thereto, the handle member carrying latching pin means selectively projectible into openings in the mounting plate for maintaining the locking bolt in the desired position.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is an elevational view partly broken away showing the novel locking assembly in place for use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the mounting plate assembly showing the operating handle in section;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the plane of section line 3 3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the assembly in latched position; and

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on the plane of section line 5 5 in Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral indicates generally the rear door of a vehicle while the vehicle door post member 12 and longitudinal frame member 14 comprise in part the frame assembly for this door. The lower edge of the door is provided With a bushing or guide member 16 adapted to receive the upper end 18 of a plunger assembly which is indicated generally by the reference character 20. This plunger member is slidably received in the frame member 14 by means of the aligned bushing members 22 and 24 which receive the upper and lower ends respectively of the plunger member, the intermediate portion of the plunger being extended in lateral directions and provided with a slot 26 in the manner shown to receive an actuating pin 28 mounted on a crank plate member 30 in the manner shown. The crank plate 30 is journaled or pivotally secured to the frame member 14 as by the horizontal axle member 32 and a link member 34 is pin-connected as at 36 to the plate 30 at a point circumferentially spaced from the pin member 28. An idler crank plate member 38 is journaled as by the axle 40 to the frame member 14 in spaced relation to the plate 3i) and the link 34 is also connected to this plate member as by the pin member 42.

A vertical link member 44 is also connected to the plate 38 and extends upwardly therefrom for connection to an actuating crank plate member 46. It will be now manifest that oscillation of the actuating plate 46 will effect, through the link member 44, the idler plate 38 and the link member 34 oscillation of the crank plate 30 and consequent reciprocation of the plunger assembly 20 such that its upper end portion 18 is either projected into the bushing member 16 in the door 10 or retracted therefrom into the position shown in Figure 1. When the vehicle door is closed, the former position of the plungerassembly will, of course, lock door in the closed position and prevent accidental opening thereof.

Referring now more specifically to Figures 2-5, it will be seen that the actuating crank plate member 46 is provided with a stem member 48 which projects through the door post member 12, a suitable member 50 being provided therein if desired and it will also be noted that the free end of this stem member 48 is provided with an internally threaded bore removably receiving a fastening member 52 by means of which the handle assembly indicated generally by the reference character 54 'is removably attached to the outerv end of this stem. A mounting or escutcheon plate 56 is secured as by a fastener 58 to the door frame with the central opening therein -in register with the bushing 50 in the manner shown. The handle assembly 54 is of generally tubular configuration which may preferably be formed of rectangular cross-section and having oppositely disposed opening 60 adjacent its opposite end.

The base members 62 and 64 are suitably secured within the interior of the handle assembly on opposite side walls thereof in alignment with the previously described opening 60 and these members are provided with a central bore 66 receiving the lower end of the cam plunger 68 and with recesses 70 at opposite sides thereof to provide a receptacle for the lower ends of the spring members 72, the purpose of which will be presently apparent. It will be noted that the lower end 74 of the cam plunger is laterally olset with respect to the upper end 76 thereof while the intermediate portion is inclined in the manner shown to provide a cam surface 78 as will be presently apparent. These plungers project through latching pin members 80, these members being provided with transverse bores 82 for this purpose. The upper ends of the cam plungers are provided with enlarged head portions 84 and enlarged collar portions 86 extending as seen in Figure 5 between the opposite walls of the handle assembly to be guidably received thereby and portions of these collars are recessed as at 88 to receive the upper ends of the previously described spring members 72.

A pair of diametrically opposed openings 90 are provided in the escutcheon plate in a manner more clearly shown in Figure 2.

In operation, the position of the handle assembly as shown in Figure 2 corresponds to the unlatched position wherein the plunger assembly 20 is in the position shown in Figure l. By manually rotating the handle assembly 54 about its pivot stem 48, to a position 90 out of phase with that shown in Figure 2, the latching pin members are projected into the aperture in the escutcheon plate due to the fact that the spring members 72 are acting to urge the cam plungers 76 upwardly such that the cam surfaces 78 thereof will urge the latching pins 80 into the apertures in the manner shown more clearly in Figure 4. At the same time, the enlarged head portions 84 of the latching plunger will be projected outwardly of the handle member through the apertures 60 therein which provides means for retraction of the latching pin and movement of the locking assembly to the neutral or retracted position. It will be manifest that when the handle member is gripped when the locking assembly is in the prjected'iposition, it is merely necessary to press down on the headportions 84 of the cam plungers 68 so as to force them into the interior o f the handle assembly which Willforce the latching pins 8) to be retracted byengage- Iieit f 'the tsurfaces 92 "offtlie 'ltching plunger-s against these pins \Thj1`s, the han'dlleme'rnber may be again 'rotated y'to ianeutral"position Av'syichfas that shown in Figure 2,`filt beirr'g manifest Vthat the springwrnembersjZ alre normallyof su'cient strength to `urgeuthe' "pin merribers 80 intoengagement with the surfaceof'the'escutcheon plate with sucietfce to 'net only 'p1-'event rattlin'gof the "assemblybut'also to `provide :su clint on between thehn'dlefmbr 'amd'the fplatefsuc'h that `t'l'ji'e former is 'not easily ro ated in "a rIiiariier 'as would ybe induced in'an accidental armer. l I A n v "From "the "for'eg'ding, "the iistru'ctionfand operationkof the device will be readily understood and lfurther explanation is believed to b'e unnecessary. However, sincel numerous 'mqdictins x"and "changes will readily occurl to thiseskivl'l'e'd in `the art, itiis not desired Vto limitthe invention nto -"dije enactcoiistruction 'shown and described, and accordingly :all able ino llticati'ons'arid equivalents may b'er'esrted to, falling within the scope of :the appended 11am i "A 'door locking device vc'orriprisiii'g a .crank member adapted to be pivoted to a door frame, a pin carried by said crank member, a bolt adapted to be mounted in a door frame for longitudinal movement, said bolt having a slot therein forming with said pin a pin and slot connection whereby oscillation of said crank member eiects movement of the bolt between a projected door locking position and a retracted position, and means to oscillate said crank member, said means including a mounting plate having apertures therein, a handle, a stern secured to said handle intermediate its ends and pivotally secured to said mounting plate, a pair of spring urged pins slidably carried at opposite ends of said handle and projectible therefrom into the apertures in said mounting plate in one position of the handle, means vfor retracting said pins comprising cam plu'g'ers engaged with said pins and projecting from opposite sides of said handle for finger manipulation to retract said pins.

Rfrences cifeain die r11@ 'er this patei 

